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A review by barath_6023
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.25
I found the book very engaging to read. Seeing the main character, Yeong-hye, being represented by three different people was interesting too.
Yeong-hye has never been her own person her whole life, and her choice to become vegetarian (or more accurately, a vegan) felt like her desire to upend all that she has been told to be. The family meetup in the first chapter is where years of abuse, misogyny and control reach a breaking point in her life.
While the first chapter from her husband's POV is rather straightforward, the second chapter was quite abstract and confusing, and I never understood why that was significant. And why the blurbs focus on the "erotic nature" in particular! They just skip over the much more relevant sisterhood that follows this section.
The third chapter from her sister's POV was more interesting, especially with their similar struggles.
All in all, it's a heavy, haunting and engrossing read.
Yeong-hye has never been her own person her whole life, and her choice to become vegetarian (or more accurately, a vegan) felt like her desire to upend all that she has been told to be. The family meetup in the first chapter is where years of abuse, misogyny and control reach a breaking point in her life.
While the first chapter from her husband's POV is rather straightforward, the second chapter was quite abstract and confusing, and I never understood why that was significant. And why the blurbs focus on the "erotic nature" in particular! They just skip over the much more relevant sisterhood that follows this section.
The third chapter from her sister's POV was more interesting, especially with their similar struggles.
All in all, it's a heavy, haunting and engrossing read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Rape